Movie Review: The Devil Bat (1940)
Synopsis: The Heath and Morton families have become incredibly wealthy selling cosmetics based on formulas created by Dr. Paul Carruthers. Curruthers, however, received only $10,000 for his formula and now holds a grudge. When the families add insult to injury by trying to surprise him with a $5000 bonus, Carruthers decides to get revenge by using his latest "perfume" to attract genetically enlarged bats to his intended victims.
Who's in it? The movie stars Bela Lugosi, Suzanne Kaaren, Dave O'Brien, Guy Usher and Donald Kerr.
Review: I have attempted to watch The Devil Bat on a couple different occasions but because of interruptions, only managed to get through the first ten minutes or so of the film. I finally had an opportunity to watch the entire movie this morning and after doing so, think it is arguably Bela Lugosi's best non-Dracula film.
The plot is a bit farfetched and the idea of growing giant killer bats in a home laboratory is a little on the unbelievable side. However, the movie does a good job pulling off the story in a way that makes it entertaining without being too campy.
The thing I liked best was Carruthers (Lugosi). First, he had a very clear motivation for his secret experiments - he wanted to commit murder in a way that couldn't be traced back to him. Unlike way too many other movies, it wasn't an experiment being conducted for vague or no apparent reason.
Another thing I loved about Carruthers is, while he considered himself a victim, the movie made it very clear he wasn't. It wasn't a situation where the Heath and Morton families stole his formula or didn't give him the opportunity to get rich from it. Carruthers made a poor business decision, choosing the $10,000 over a stake in the company. While he may have felt insulted by their $5000 check, it was more than he was owed based on that arrangement and there was no indication he wouldn't have been fairly compensated for his new perfume/aftershave had it not been something he was creating for a revenge plot.
One thing I also thought was unique about the movie was how none of the supporting characters were, for a lack of a better word, morons. The reporter investigating the deaths, Johnny Layton (O'Brien) pretty much figured out who was behind the killings and how he was doing it and the local police chief (Hal Price) wasn't dismissing it. There was just no clear evidence, and Carruthers was quick to offer up a viable explanation whenever he was questioned (or kill anyone who could expose him).
In fact, while the movie ended pretty much the way I figured it would, there were times when it seemed like it might have an unexpected twist at the end. Frankly, had Carruthers not been so blinded by revenge and known when to stop, or at least take a break until the investigation cooled down, I think he could have gotten away with it. Again, it was a farfetched plan that only would work in a movie, but it was also kind of genius.
Final Opinion: It took me a while to finally watch this movie, but it was worth it. As I said before, it's arguably Lugosi's best non-Dracula film and, if not, it is easily near the top of that list.
My Grade: A
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Here are some reviews of other Bela Lugosi movies:
Movie Review: Murder by Television (1935)
Movie Review: The Corpse Vanishes (1942)
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